Opening the text

A journal, of a young man of Massachusetts, late a surgeon on board an American privateer, who was captured at sea by the British in May, eighteen hundred and thirteen and was confined first, at Melville Island, Halifax, then at Chatham, in England, and last at Dartmoor prison : $b Interspersed with observations, anecdotes and remarks, tending to illustrate the moral and political characters of three nations. To which is added, a correct engraving of Dartmoor prison, representing the massacre ofWaterhouse, Benjamin

History

A journal, of a young man of Massachusetts, late a surgeon on board an American privateer, who was captured at sea by the British in May, eighteen hundred and thirteen and was confined first, at Melville Island, Halifax, then at Chatham, in England, and last at Dartmoor prison : $b Interspersed with observations, anecdotes and remarks, tending to illustrate the moral and political characters of three nations. To which is added, a correct engraving of Dartmoor prison, representing the massacre of

Waterhouse, Benjamin

Dartmoor Prison; United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Prisoners and prisons

Beside king _Dick_, and _Simon_, the priest, there was another black
divine, named _John_. He had been a servant of _Edward, Duke of Kent_,
third son of the present king of England; on which account, black John
assumed no small state and dignity. He left the service of his royal
highness; and was found on board of an American ship, and was pressed
from thence into a British man of war, where he served a year or two,
in the station of captain's steward; but disliking the service, he
claimed his release, as an American; and was sent with a number of
other pressed men, to the prison ships at Chatham; and he came to this
prison, with a number of other Africans. After king Dick, and Simon,
the priest, _black John_ was the next man of the most consequence
among the negroes; and considering his family connections; and that he
knew how to read and write, it is not much to be wondered at. John
conceived that his influence with his royal highness was sufficient to
encourage him to write to the Duke to get him set at liberty; who
actually applied to the transport-board with that view; but they could
not grant it. He received, however, a letter from Capt. Hervy, the
Duke's secretary, on the subject, who added, that as he had been so
unwise as to refuse to serve his majesty, he must suffer for his
folly. We have been particular in this anecdote; and we request our
readers to bear it in mind, when we shall come to contrast this prompt
answer of the royal Duke to the letter of a negro, with the conduct of
Mr. Beasley, our agent for prisoners. The prisoners themselves noticed
it; and envied the negro, while they execrated the haughty, unfeeling
agent, who seldom, or ever answered their letters, or took any notice
of their applications.

The poor negro consoled himself for his disappointment by turning
Christian; and being a pretty clever fellow, and having formerly
belonged to the royal family, it was considered an act of kindness and
magnanimity, to raise him to the rank of _deacon_ in Simon's church.
_Deacon John_ generally acts as a privy counsellor to the king; and
is sometimes a judge in criminal cases, when his majesty allows of
one, which is not very often; for he most commonly acts in as despotic
and summary a manner as the _Dey_ of Algiers himself.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.